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Simple Scholar Adoption Plan, for Instructors

Added by john.morrison , last edited by john.morrison on 31 May 2007 10:52 AM
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Simple Scholar Adoption Plan, for Instructors: Using Blackboard Scholar as an Instructor

 1. Getting use to Scholar

  • start with Individual account
  • watch your views (check which icons are visible in search output to verify view e.g. if Edit icon is visible, you are in My View)
  • get the Scholar bookmarklet (under Settings in Scholar)
  • add your first bookmark

2. Starting to Plan a Course/s with Scholar

  • Think about courses you have, and how to break them down by tags e.g. if I was a Biology instructor, teaching an introductory course, I might want to have the following tags: marine microbiology molecular human anatomy biochemistry botany ecology evolution genetics heredity physiology zoology
  • Create 1 or more bookmarks which use each tag at least once, can include multiple tags on same one then can (easy way to point students to what to do). Make this bookmarks/bookmarks tagged with course tag or make a stream on the course home page (so students easily see these tags)
  • Simple import: import links from browser bookmarks or del.icio.us: in Scholar Settings->Import Bookmarks
  • Complex import: massage files into browser bookmark file format, which can then be imported as simple import. See
    http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/browser/external/overview/bookmark_file_format.asp
  • In Bb Academic Suite links can be uploaded from a course into Scholar: via Course (Control Panel->Manage Blackboard Scholar Integration->Copy External Links to Scholar)
  • Think about how you want students to use tool
  • Grab resources for your students, see Rolling Out Scholar on Campus on http://wiki.scholar.com
  • Register your course (click on any link to Scholar Course Home to register a course with Scholar, which creates a Scholar Course page)
  • Course page = Streams (Advanced Searches) saved on a Scholar Course Page, so think about streams you want students to see on Scholar Course Home
  • Consider the following streams for Course page. Enter the following criteria into the Advanced Search an:
    • streams that capture your all your resources, which you want to push to students i.e. save Advanced search based on UserName=yours (use Add Criteria button in Advanced Search)
    • streams that capture your all your resources which you have tagged for this course i.e. save Advanced search based on Course Tag=Course ID and UserName=yours (use Add Criteria button in Advanced Search)
    • streams that capture your Discipline i.e. save Advanced search based on  Discipline=Biology
    • streams that capture Student additions to course e.g. save Advanced search based on  Course Tag=Course ID and User Role=Student (use Add Criteria button in Advanced Search)

3. Teaching a Course with Scholar

  • Instructions for students
    • look at the tags saved on the Course page
    • tell students what streams are and what tags will add resources to the stream (try and make content of stream clear in the Stream title)
  • Simple ways to use Scholar in a Course
    • consider an initial course activity with Scholar, which gets students to add a Bookmark based on criterion you give, which will show up in a Course page stream
    • monitor the stream during first few weeks: are students doing what you asked? If not, correct them
    • watch course resources grow!

4. End of Course

  • remind or let your students know: Scholar is available beyond the course at www.scholar.com. Suggest they copy any course bookmarks or streams, before course ends (Scholar Course home pages can only be accessed from within a course, while personal Scholar home pages don't have this restriction)
  • Rollover of Scholar Course home page streams
    • if no course tag involved in stream, stream is saved on instructor's individual account. Simply Add Stream to any subsequent courses
    • if course tag used in stream, some rollover issues. Consider copying bookmarks, removing course tag from stream or not transferring the stream. After summer 07 update to Scholar, this will be improved
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